Taking a step forward after its drinking water crisis, the Milford Water Co. has started reducing chlorine levels in the water supply.

With samples continuing to come back bacteria-free, the utility received the go-ahead yesterday from the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Chlorine is still being pumped into the system, but DEP spokesman Ed Coletta said it now can be a dose of .5 parts per million (down from 1 part per million) that is shot in through a booster station set up on Tina Road.

Since state officials lifted a boil-water order last Friday, the company has been slowly reducing the amount of chlorine. The order lasted up to 13 days in some parts of Milford.

"This is a process to move the system back to normalcy," Coletta said.

He said the state will continue to monitor the company's moves as it recovers from the emergency, which began late on Aug. 8 when a townwide boil order went into effect due to E. coli and total coliform bacteria contamination.

The Milford Water Co. yesterday detailed its plans to rebound and "ensure the long-term integrity" of its water supply.

In a press release, the company described its plans to:

- Act on recommendations due from an outside environmental engineering firm hired to perform a source-to-tap analysis of the system.

Results will be shared with customers, town departments and state agencies.

Plans were in place to do this work before the emergency, the company says.

- Expedite replacement of the faulty Congress Street water tank roof. (Officials believe this is the likely culprit of the contamination.)

- Update and expand the capital improvements and maintenance plan for the facility and possibly shift current priorities.

The updated capital and maintenance plans will be shared with Milford residents and businesses so the public can review them and provide feedback.

- Update emergency response communications plans and hold a public meeting to discuss a revised plan and gather input from the community.

- Implement a community information program.

The company plans to reinstitute the community information program it had in the past. "The company has pledged to be more transparent and improve communications with all its stakeholders," the release reads.

In terms of the water system, Coletta said the private company will need to keep approaching the state, saying, "This is what we want to do next."

He said the chlorine levels are coming down after David Condrey, Milford Water Co.'s new operations manager, asked about the Tina Road booster station.

"That's the only request that we've approved, so it's not a whole system thing at this point," Coletta said.

Page 2 of 2 - He said that station, which was set up on Aug. 17 on Tina Road, off Pine Island Road and Briar Drive in north Milford, cannot remain there indefinitely.

The boil order lasted the full 13 days in that part of town - the upper Purchase Street area - where it took time for the chlorine to get out and kill stubborn bacteria in the water supply.

The ban for most of Milford ended on Day 10 of the crisis, Aug. 18.

Chlorine continues to be pumped into the system through a hydrant on Tina Road, and it is still being injected into the system at other points.

In the press release, company president Leonard White said the focus is on getting things back to normal.

"Our goal has always been to provide the residents and businesses of our community with safe, reliable drinking water - from source-to-tap - and we will work with our customers and state agencies to ensure (that happens)," he said.